Spacing bar



F. L. METZGR.

SPACING BAB. APPLICATION mfp FEB. 8, 1921.

Patented July 4 im! @wma @C /W @i NETE@ STT FRITZ L. METZGER, OF AVLON,PENNSYLVANIA.

SPACIITG BAR.

Application led February 8, 1921.

To all whom-t may concern.'

Be it known thatI, FRITZ L. Mnfrzonn, a citizen of the United States,residing at Avalon, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements. in SpacingBars, of which the following` is a specification.

y invention relates to spacing bars used in concrete buildingconstruction for spacing the reinforcing bars used therein.

It is one object of this invention to provide a spacing bar havingsupporting legs formed therefrom without materially weakening the metalstrip or bar from which it is made. Another object is to provide thelegs with the surfaces in contact with their supports sufficiently broadto prevent them from sinking into the said supports. Another object isto provide means whereby the spacing bars may have their height or depthincreased by simple supplemental legs. Other objects appear hereinafter.

Referring to theaccompanying drawing, Fig. l is a perspective view of aportion of the preferred form of my improved spacing bar with tworeinforcing bars applied thereto; Fig. 2, a side elevation of a spacingbar and its supporting means, with a reinforcing bar attached thereto;Fig. 3, a cross-section of Fig. 2 on the line III-III; Fig. 4, a sideview of a portion of a spacing bar with a supplemental leg appliedthereto and shown in vertical section; Fig. 5, a cross-section of Fig.4f on the line V-V; and Fig. 6, a perspective view of a portion of' asecond form of my spacing bar.

On Figs. l to 5 of the drawing, nates a strip or bar of sheet metalhaving any. suitable cross-section. I have shown the strip 1 with aninverted V-shaped crosssection, as illustrative of my preferredcrosssection. At suitable intervals along the bar 1 opposite slits aremade near the edges, as at the places 2, and the strips of metal betweeneach slit and the edge nearest thereto is bent outwardly transverselyfrom the plane which includes both lateral edges of the bar to form thelegs 3. The legs are merely drawn out from the body of the bar 1 andeach leg is integra-l therewith and throughout their length, that is,from one end of the adjacent slit to the other end thereof. Preferablythe strips from which the legs are made are slightly twisted as they areforced out of their original positions so as to have their outer facesor lowest 1 desig- Specication of Letters Batent.

Patented July et, 1922.

serial No. 443,344.

portions, that is, the portions having the greatest displacement, liefrom edge to edge in contact with their support 4;. The legs have acomparatively large area in contact with the support 1, therebypreventing them from sinking into the support by the weight superposedon the bars. While the bending of the legs from the bars so as topresent the edges of the strips to the support 4 comes within myinvention it has not the full advantages of the preferred form of thelegs rst described herein. Preferably the displaced metal is forced fromthe body of the bar by a movement normal to the support t. y

The longitudinal center line of the bar l is provided with the tongues 5lying preferably between each pair of legs 3, the tongues being formedout of the body of the bar 1. One end of each tongue is left integralwith the body while the free end thereof is bent out from the body toform a seat for-a reinforcing rod 6. The reinforcing rods rest on thebody 1 beneath the tongues which are bent down over the rods to formretaining and clamping means to hold the bar 1 and the rods together.

The spacing bars may, if necessary, be secured to their support in anysuitable manner, as by driving into the support e a nail or other headeddevice 7 through each slot 8 made by the formation of a tongue 5.

In order to space the bar 1 at a greater distance from its support thencan be effected by the legs 3 alone, I may provide the supplementaldevice 9 having the central member 10 seated in the pairs of slots 11left by forming of the legs 3. The ends of the member 10 entenddownwardly to form supplemental legs 12 having the feetv 13 below thelegs 3. The central member 10 fits the pairs of slots preferably so asto prevent any appreciable lost motion between the bar 1 and the device9. The feet 13 are preferably turned so as to rest flatly on theirsupport 14C to prevent their sinking into the support.

On Fig. 6, I have shown the legs 3a bent directly from a flat spacingbar la and preferably at right angles thereto, the legs being at bothends integral with the bar 1a and continuous from end to end. The lowestpart of the legs 3a constitutes feet adapted to rest from edge to edgeon their support so as to furnish as broad a contact as possibletherewith. I have shown in all the figures legs aro-shaped, but they mayobviously have a different shape in order to increase the area ofcontactwith their support; for example, the are may have a longer radius0r it may be somewhat flattened, as shown on Fig. 2.

I claim:

l. In a spacing bar for reinforced concrete construction, a V-shaped barof ductile sheet metal having at opposite edges thereof a series ofone-piece legs bent therefrom at the sameside of the bar and integraltherewith at both ends, the outer faces of the legs being arranged inthe same plane whereby they may contact from edge to edge with a supporttherefor.

2. InV a spacing bar for reinforced concrete construction, a bar ofductile sheet metalv having at opposite edges thereof a series ofone-piece legs bent therefrom at the same side of the bar and integraltherewith at bot-h ends, in combination with a headed y device extendingthrough slots inthe bar.

3. In a spacing bar for reinforced concrete construction, a bar ofductile sheet metal havingrat opposite edges thereof a series ofone-piece legs bent therefrom at the same side of the bar and integraltherewith at both ends, in combination with a series of tongues integralWith the bar and lying at the side of the bar opposite that from whichthe legs extend, and a headed device extending through some of the slotsleft by the forming of the tongues.

4. In a spacing bar for reinforced concrete construction, a bar ofductile sheetv metal having at opposite edges thereof a series ofone-piece legs bent therefrom at the same side of the bar and integraltherewith at both ends, whereby slots are provided between each leg andthe adjacent portion of the body, in combination with a supplementaldevice extending through two slots at opposite edges of the bar andhaving supplementallegs thereon extending beyond the first legs.

5. In a spacing bar for reinforced concrete construction, a bar ofduetile sheet metal having at opposite edges thereof a series ofone-piece legs bent therefromY at the same side of the bar and integraltherewith at both ends, whereby slots' are provided between each leg andthe adjacent portion of the body, in combination with a supplementaldevice extending through two slots at opposite edges of the bar andhaving supplemental legs thereon extending beyond the first legs, thesupplemental device tting the said slots so as to prevent substantiallost motion between the bar and the said device.-

Signed at Pittsburgh, Pa., this 3rd day of February, 1921.

FRITZ L. METZGER.

